custom ad
SportsMay 7, 2013

The final six feet of Notre Dame golfer Brady Dixon's Class 3 Sectional 1 round spoke volumes Monday at Bent Creek. Dixon's aggressive 6-foot par attempt firmly struck the back of the hole and hopped up and to the right side of the cup, attesting to the adventures and perils that kept all but two of the 51 golfers in the qualifying field at 80 or above...

Notre Dame’s Brady Dixon watches his drive from the 16th tee during the Class 3 sectional tournament Monday at Bent Creek Golf Course in Jackson. Dixon earned meet medalist honors with a 3-over-par 75. (Fred Lynch)
Notre Dame’s Brady Dixon watches his drive from the 16th tee during the Class 3 sectional tournament Monday at Bent Creek Golf Course in Jackson. Dixon earned meet medalist honors with a 3-over-par 75. (Fred Lynch)

The final six feet of Notre Dame golfer Brady Dixon's Class 3 Sectional 1 round spoke volumes Monday at Bent Creek.

Dixon's aggressive 6-foot par attempt firmly struck the back of the hole and hopped up and to the right side of the cup, attesting to the adventures and perils that kept all but two of the 51 golfers in the qualifying field at 80 or above.

But this speech was far from over.

Moments after the "missed" attempt evoked moans from onlookers, it became evident this was only a dramatic pause.

"There was a split second where it didn't move, but then I saw the ball start to move back and I knew it was in," Dixon said. "It was good."

As the ball fell, the rest of the message was clear: Bent Creek is Notre Dame's home course, it was the Bulldogs' day, and Dixon again was the man.

The "kerplunk" into the hole sealed a 3-over-par round of 75 for Dixon, co-medalist at the sectional a year earlier. It gave him a three-shot victory over runner-up Gabe Wheeler of Sikeston and was part of Notre Dame's eight-shot victory over Westminster in the five-team competition.

Notre Dame's 327 team total secured the Bulldogs' fifth consecutive trip to the state meet as a team and helped the Bulldogs make amends for their only loss of the season.

"It's fantastic," Dixon said. "This is something we've talked about all year. Our goal all year, we wanted to be undefeated coming into this, but the one little blemish being at this place. We really wanted to come back and put up a good number here and take home a piece of hardware from this place."

The Notre Dame Invitational at Bent Creek was the only title to elude the Bulldogs this season. Jackson edged the host by one stroke, providing both frustration and motivation for the Class 3 District 1 champions.

Notre Dame’s Cody Cox sinks a putt on the 12th green during Monday’s sectional meet. Cox finished with an 86 for the Bulldogs.
Notre Dame’s Cody Cox sinks a putt on the 12th green during Monday’s sectional meet. Cox finished with an 86 for the Bulldogs.

"We really wanted to win this because we lost to Jackson last time," freshman Jack Litzelfelner said. "It was a good feeling."

Litzelfelner finished third with an 81 in a round started in light rain and finished in strong wind. Players were allowed to lift, clean and place, but still had to contend with pushed back tees on some holes and long, wet grass throughout.

"Seventy-five is really good with the layout and conditions," Litzelfelner said about Dixon's round.

Litzelfelner, who was medalist at the Jackson Invitational and co-medalist at the Poplar Bluff Invitational, was in the medalist conversation until taking a quadruple-bogey eight on the 16th hole.

"[No. 16] was pretty bad," Litzelfelner said. "I was doing pretty good 'til that hole, and that kind of messed me up."

Notre Dame sophomore Jon Renner capped a round of 85 by sinking an 18-foot par putt, and senior Cody Cox rounded out the team score with an 86.

"Jon came through," Cox said. "He's our fifth man, and he was our third man today. Him coming through really helped out. ... Our starting five is so solid, really. If someone has a bad game, normally someone will pick them up. That's something not a lot of other teams have is five really solid players."

Dixon opened his round with a drive into the creek down the right side of No. 1, but he limited the damage to a bogey.

"I was extremely pleased to make five there," Dixon said. "I calmed down a little bit, made par on 2."

Dixon sandwiched birdies at Nos. 3 and 5 around a bogey at No. 4 to get through the first six holes at even par.

Receive Daily Headlines FREESign up today!

"Brady's the type of kid that sticks around and will just keep plugging away until he gets it down to where he wants it," Grim said.

Perryville’s Brett Schnurbusch hits from the ninth tee during the Class 3 Sectional 1 tournament Monday at Bent Creek Golf Course in Jackson. (Fred Lynch)
Perryville’s Brett Schnurbusch hits from the ninth tee during the Class 3 Sectional 1 tournament Monday at Bent Creek Golf Course in Jackson. (Fred Lynch)

The junior bogeyed four of the next 10 holes and arrived at the tee box at the 480-yard No. 17 at 4-over.

Dixon, the longest hitter among the Bulldogs, then smashed a drive that left him just 118 yards to the pin on the par-5 hole. He flew his second shot over the pin with a 56-degree wedge, but made birdie from the fringe.

"The wind was blowing, and I was a little bit amped up," Dixon said. "I had quite a bit of adrenaline going after that tee shot."

He finished with his dramatic putt for par on No. 18.

"I was surprised there weren't a few more scores down there," Dixon said. "The course was playing tough, and after I got done, Dad (Dewey Dixon) said I played very, very smart. I didn't make too many mistakes, and I didn't go for too many flags. I just kind of played to my strengths, and it definitely helps."

With three of the five teams from the St. Louis area -- Sikeston was the fifth team -- familiarity with the course was on the Bulldogs' side

"It's our home course, and we ought to win out here," Grim said. "But they did a good job. These are great kids. I hope they do well at state."

As a sophomore, Dixon shot a 2-over 73 at Franklin County Country Club in Washington, Mo., to earn medalist honors. The Bulldogs went on to finish fifth at the state meet at Rivercut Golf Club in Bolivar, Mo.

This year, they will play at Sedalia Country Club next week Monday and Tuesday. The top two teams from the sectional and the top 12 individuals not on those teams advanced to the state meet. Perryville's Brett Schnurbush carded a 90 and did not advance.

"This year I think we have a pretty good shot at it," Cox said. "If we play good golf, then we can come out with a state championship, I think. We'll see how it goes."

Class 3 sectional

(at Bent Creek)

Team -- Notre Dame 327, Westminster 335, Lutheran South 338, Sikeston 342, Priory 349

Individual scores

Notre Dame (327) -- Brady Dixon 75, Jack Litzelfelner 81, Jon Renner 85, Cody Cox 86

Westminster (335) -- Siraphop Sirisilip 82, Brandon Terbrock 82, Drake Norman 84, Andrew Port 87

Lutheran South (338) -- Mitchell Moellenhoff 83, David Kirkman 86, Jeffrey Snellon 84, Jake Hartwig 86

Sikeston (342) -- Gabe Wheeler 78, Connor Landers 86, Kirk Hoggatt 86, Conor Macgillivray 92

Priory (359) -- Eric Stange 83, Thomas Weaver 88, Liam Mardis 88, Andrew Fogarty 90

Advertisement

Connect with the Southeast Missourian Newsroom:

For corrections to this story or other insights for the editor, click here. To submit a letter to the editor, click here. To learn about the Southeast Missourian’s AI Policy, click here.

Advertisement
Receive Daily Headlines FREESign up today!